Packaging of cigarettes

ABSTRACT

Packaging is provided in which smaller than standard-size cigarette packages are packed in a carton designed to permit the cigarette packages to be marked in a tax marking machine for marking standard-size cigarette packages.

Unlted States Patent 11 1 1111 3,

Begemann 5] Aug. 14, 1973 PACKAGING 0F CIGARETTES 3,596,758 8/1971Phillips, Jr. et al. 229/28 R a 2 V v 3,278,016 10/1966 COnli 206/485[75] Inventor- CarllBegemanmMlambFla- 3,558,035 1/1971 Stegner 229/37 Ex 3,599,858 8/1971 Samsing 229/37 E X [73] Ass1gnee: Philips MorrlsIncorporated, 3,687,278 8/1972 Graham et a1. 229/42 X New York, N,Y,2,888,186 5/1959 Meyers 229/42 [22] Filed: Aug. 28, 1972 PrzmaryExammer-George E. Lowrance [211 APPl- 2841126 5Ffl?t9ll!.- L ma,

Attorney Elmer R. Helferich, George J. Brandt, Jr. 52 US. Cl 206/4s.5,206/65 R, 229/28 R,

229/37 E [57] ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl B6511 85/10 [58] Field Of Search206/48.5, 65 R, DIG. 23; f pmvded m whch "9" than stanfiard' 229 5 28 R37 E 42 S126 clgarette packages are packed 1n a carton deslgned topermit the cigarette packages to be marked in a tax [56] ReferencesCited markmg machme for markmg standard-sue cigarette packages. 4 UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 3,489,272 1/1970 Rosen 206/48.5 7 Chums 5 Drawmg F'gum 13,536,246 10/1970 Rosen 206/65 R X 2,783,929 3/1957 Delaney 206/48.5 X

Patented Aug. 14, 1973 3,752,308

2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 SheetsSheet 3 FIG. 3

Patented Aug. 14, 1973 PACKAGING or CIGARETTES BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION For many years cigarettes generally have been made with arelatively standard circumferential dimension of about 25 mm. While theoverall length of cigarettes have changed from time to time, theindustry generally has stayed with the cigarette circumferentialdimension of 25 mm. Further, there has developed down through the yearsa generally standardized cigarette package size as well as carton sizefor packing cigarette packages in quantities of ten packages each.Accordingly, the dimensions and construction of the standard-size cartonhave been long established and the tax marking machinery employed bylocal wholesalers who tax mark the cigarette packages prior to retailsale in compliance with local taxing laws, have been designed to markcigarettes in a standard-size carton.

Very recently, there has appeared in the cigarette market, a demand forcigarettes that are slightly smaller than standard-size cigarettes,namely, cigarettes having a circumferential dimension of about 23 mm.When such smaller than standard-size cigarettes are packaged in theconventional quantity of 20 cigarettes to a package, the package issomehwat smaller in length and width than a conventional size cigarettepackage and if such packages are packed in a carton designed for snugreception of a quantity of such packages, overall carton dimensions willbe also somewhat less than the standard-size carton. Utilization ofexisting tax marking machines in conjunction with such smaller sizedcarton by a local wholesaler for marking purposes would present aproblem in respect that the longitudinal dimension of the carton beingsomewhat smaller than that of a standard-size carton, the tax markingwheel designed for standard-size cartons would not properly mark each ofthe smaller than standard-size packages of cigarettes arranged in thecarton. Such problem would be less acute in respect to proper lateralregistration of the tax marking wheel on the smaller than standard-sizecigarette packages and in most instances the standard-size tax markingmachine is acceptable in respect of the lateral positioning of themarking but not so in regard to longitudinal positioning. Economically,it is not feasible for the wholesaler to employ an additional taxmarking machine designed solely for marking smaller than standard-sizecigarette packages in a carton of correspondingly smaller thanstandard-size dimension and made in the same fashion as the conventionalstandard-size carton.

US. Pat. Nos. 3,489,272 and 3,536,246 both describe packaging of smallerthan standard-size cigarettes in manners which make it possible toutilize standard-size tax marking machines for marking the smaller thanstandard-size cigarette packages. According to such patentsstandard-size cartons are employed and panel inserts are inserted in thecartons to hold the cigarette packages in predetermined positionings,such panels taking up a portion of the lateral and longitudinal spacedifferentials which exist by reason of using the standard-size cartonfor the smaller than standardsize packages. While the adaptation ofstandard-size cigarette cartons for use with smaller than standardsizepackages of cigarettes'as taught in the aforementioned US. patentsprovides a solution to the problem of marking the smaller thanstandard-size packages with marking machines designed for use withstandardsize packages, there is occasioned by utilization of the largerstandard-size carton a shortcoming involving slippage of the carton intransport through the machine with consequent improper marking. When thecarton is advanced through the tax marking machine the same isadvancedby means of one or more pairs of opposed feed rollers which engageopposite side walls of the carton to move same along a travel path inthe machine while concurrently the tax marking wheel impresses taxmarking indicia on the ends of the cigarette packages in the carton, andoccasionally the carton, because it is not completely filled in itslateral expanse by the packages of cigarettes undergoes deflection ofthe side walls of the carton which cause the drive rollers to slippreventing or retarding proper transport of the carton through themachine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has for a purpose theprovision of packaging smaller than standard-size cigarette packages ina special carton adapted for transport along a travel path through a taxmarking machine designed for tax marking standard-size cigarettepackages contained in a standard-size carton. According to theinvention, the smaller than standard-size cigarette packages arereceived in an elongated box-like enclosure formed from a single blankof material and having parts thereof which define carton end wallstructure at the opposite ends of the carton, a pair of carton sidewalls, a carton bottom wall and carton top wall structure with, the respective parts being joined along fold lines so that the blank can beerected by folding the parts along such fold lines to form the box-likeenclosure. In this manner, when two co-extensive rows of smaller thanstandard-size cigarette packages are received in the enclosure with thepackages in each row arranged in side-byside alignment and paired with acorresponding package in the other row, such two rows will beco-extensive with the lateral expanse of the enclosure and snugly engagethe side walls thereof. However the carton is so sized that thelongitudinal expanse of the enclosure is not taken up by the two rows ofpackages thus leaving a portion of the longitudinal expanse of theenclosure unfilled. This is so provided since the smaller thanstandard-size cigarette packages have to be positioned longitudinally ina particular disposition so that such smaller than standard-sizepackages can be marked with the same tax marking wheel or unit designedfor marking standard-size packages. To take up the unfilled space in thelongitudinal expanse of the enclosure as well as to position thepackages of cigarettes for marking the same, spacer means are providedin the form of a pair of panels disposed at opposite ends of the middlepackages in each row of packages received in the enclosure, such panelsbeing interposed between the said middle packages and the packagesadjacent. In addition to serving as means for longitudinally positioningthe cigarette packages within the carton enclosure, the panels preventflexing of the side walls of the carton due to pressure of the feedrollers thereagainst at least in the regions of the disposition of thepanels as the carton is being transported through the tax markingmachine thereby preventing slippage of the feed roller units andconsequent improper tax marking.

Furthermore, the carton is reinforced or stiffened at the end wallstructure thereof to similarly prevent any flexure of the end walls ofthe carton at the time of passage through the tax marking machine whichslippage would impede smooth transit of the carton through the machine.For such purpose the reinforcement or stiffening is provided in form oflateral stiffening means for the end wall structure comprised of a pairof reinforcing tab parts which are integral with opposite ends of thecarton bottom wall part and which are folded up:

wardly therefrom adjacent overlapped end wall parts of the end wallstructure, the tab parts being substantially transversely coextensivewith the end wall structure and upwardly to a height which includes anappreciable portion of the vertical expanse in which the feed rollersengage the carton sides, the tab parts serving in such manner to preventflexure of the end wall structure as the same passes between the opposedfeed rollers.

The invention, accordingly, comprises the features of constructioncombination of elements and arrangement of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope ofthe invention will be indicated in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A fuller understanding of the natureand objects of the present invention will be had from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingshowing by way of example, preferred embodiments of the inventiveconcept and in which:

FIG. I is a prospective view of a cigarette carton containing smallerthan standard-size packages of cigarettes and providing packaging inaccordance with the present invention,portions of the carton beingbroken away for purposes of clarity, the carton being shown in opencondition as it would be preliminary to tax marking of the cigarettepackages.

FIG. 2. is a diagrammatic depiction of the manner in which the cartondepicted in FIG. 1 is advanced through a tax marking machine designed tomark standard-size cigarette packages wherein tax marking indicia isapplied to the end surfaces of the cigarette packages in the carton.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the blank from which the carton shown inFIG. 1 is formed.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view as taken along the line lV-IV inFIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view as taken along the line V-V in FIG.1.

Throughout the following description, like reference numerals are usedto denote like parts in the drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention isconcerned with packaging of smaller than standard-size packages ofcigarettes in a specially designed carton. The carton is particularlysuitable for use in conjunction with tax marking of the smaller thanstandard-size cigarette packages in a standard tax marking machinedesigned for tax marking cigarettes contained in a standard-size cartonand in which opposed machine feed rollers engage the sides of the cartonat a predetermined height above the carton travel path through themachine for advancing the carton through the machine.

The packaging 5 of cigarettes according to the present inventionincludes a cigarette carton which is shown in erected condition in FIG.1, the carton 10 being filled with ten smaller than standard-sizecigarette packages 12 arranged in two coextensive rows with the packagesin each row extending in side-by-side alignment and being paired with acorresponding package in the other row. The carton 10 is an elongatedenclosure structure which can be formed from a carton blank 2% of theform and outline depicted in FIG. 3.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the carton blank 20 is of a constructiongenerally similar to the type well-known in the art being modified inaccordance with the present invention in a manner as will be describedin greater detail later. The blank 20 can be made from various materialsincluding paper, cardboard, plastic and such other inexpensive materialsas suit the intended purpose. The blank includes parts thereoncorresponding to the ends, sides, top and bottom of the cartonenclosure, the parts being defined in the blank by the score or foldlines shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3. Thus the blank has a part 22corresponding to the bottom of the carton, a pair of flaps 24, 24a whichoverlappingly fold together when the carton is erected to comprise thetop of the carton, a pair of end wall parts 26, 26:: at one end of theblank and integral with the respective side wali parts 28, 28a andanother pair of end wall parts 30, 30a at the other end of the blank andmade integral with the side wall parts 28, 28a respectively, the endwall parts 26, 26a and 30, 30a together forming the end wall structureat opposite ends of the carton box-like enclosure. The blank furtherincludes reinforcing tabs 32 and 32a at opposite ends of the carton andintegral with the carton bottom 22 which reinforcing tabs as will bedescribed later serve to reinforce the carton end wall structure toprevent flexure of the same upon passage through the tax markingmachine. The manner of erecting a carton from the blank 20 is understoodby those skilled in the art and involves the folding of the respectiveblank parts along the fold lines (shown in dashed lines) to form thebox-like enclosure with the overlapping and securement together of theend wall parts 26, 26a and 30, 300 being done in conventional manneremploying to that end a suitable adhesive to hold the overlapped partssecured.

As will appear later on an important feature of the carton of thepresent invention is the provision of lateral stiffening means in theend wall structure, and accordingly the end wall parts 26 and 30 as wellas the reinforcing tabs 32, 32a contribute to such improvement and do soto an extent that can be understood with reference to the depiction inFIG. 3 of the size and shape of similar components as found in a priorart blank, the prior art components being shown in phantom outline at 4%and 44):: so that the greatly enlarged size and change in shape of theend wall parts and reinforcing tabs is apparent.

Before further description of the packaging of the smaller thanstandard-size cigarette packages in the carton provided by the presentinvention, reference should be made to FIG. 2 for brief description ofthe manner in which a cigarette tax marking machine operates to tax markthe ends of cigarette packages. As shown in FIG. 2 and as those skilledin the art will appreciate, such machines receive the carton 10 with theflaps 24, 24a at the top of a cigarette carton 10 open in the mannershown in FIG. 2 and at least one pair of feed rollers 50, (only one suchroller being shown in FIG. 2), function to advance the carton 10 intransport through the machine along a travel path 52 concur rently withthe operation of the tax marking wheel 54! which carries a printing face56 which prints the required tax marking on the ends of the cigarettepackages 12, the operation of the feed rollers 50 and the tax markingwheel 54 being in timed sequence such that if the carton were to slipduring the course of feed through the roller unit 50 the tax markingwheel would misregister on the package in the carton as well as possiblyfail to mark certain ones of such packages. Following transport throughthe marking unit the carton is removed and the top flaps 24, 24aresealed. As those skilled in the art will perceive, the presentinvention is equally applicable to tax marking with machines of thedecalomania transfer type which instead of printing indicia on thecigarette package ends function to tax mark by applying a decalomaniastamp from a stock thereof to the package end.

When the blank depicted in FIG. 3 is folded in appropriate manner alongthe respective fold lines and the end wall parts 26, 26a, 30, 30a aresecured together adhesively they form the elongated box-like enclosureshown in FIG. 1. In erected condition, the reinforcing tabs 32, 32aextend upwardly from the bottom 22 interiorly of the end wall structureto a height which includes an appreciable portion of the verticalexpanse in which the feed rollers 50 of the tax marking machine willengage the side wall parts 28, 28a of the erected carton on passage ofthe latter through the tax marking machine. Further the end wallstructure when in secured overlapped condition is such that the end wallparts 26a, 30a extend from one side wall 28a transversely of the cartonbox-like enclosure substantially to the other side wall 28. The otherend wall parts 26, 30 similarly extend substantially from the other sidewall 28 transversely in the direction of the side wall 28a and terminateclosely adjacent to such side wall 28a. Together the end wall parts ateach end of the box-like enclosure form a relatively rugged end wallcomponent which because it is comprised of two members which areoverlapped for substantially their full transverse expanse is lesssusceptible to flexure than prior art type cartons which have the muchsmaller end wall parts shown in phantom lines at 40a. Furthermore thepresence of the reinforcing tab 32, 32a at the ends of the cartonfurther serve to reinforce the end wall structure to obviate flexure ofthe same when the carton passes through the feed roller units in the taxmarking machine. The extent to which the reinforcing tabs extendupwardly from the carton bottom 22 can be best seen in FIGS. 1, 4 and 5.

After the carton 10 has been erected, the smaller than standard-sizecigarette packages 12 are inserted in same in the manner shown in FIG. Iand in which condition the cigarettes fill the full lateral expanse ofthe box-like enclosure. However the carton enclosure is dimensioned suchthat the cigarette packages do not till the full longitudinal expanse ofthe same, there being left therein a space for the purpose which will bedescribed shortly. In order to mark the cigarette packages 12 properlyand with respect to the longitudinal positioning of the same so that astandard-size tax marking or stamp transfer wheel can be used, thelongitudinal space which remains in the carton is filled by placing apair of panel spacer members 70 in the carton at opposite ends of themiddle packages of each of the two rows of cigarette packages therein.The panel members 70 thus function to space the cigarette packages ineach row in a manner that permits the standard tax marking wheel to markproperly the smaller than standard-size packages since the longitudinalpositioning of the same in the carton is within the tolerances withwhich the marking wheel will function. As mentioned earlier hereinlateral spacing of the smaller than standard-size packages for markingpurposes is not as critical an accordingly no special consideration needbe given to any particularly lateral positioning of the cigarettes forpassage through the tax marking machine. It has been found that thespacer panels will function to properly position all of the cigarettepackages in the carton longitudinally most effectively if the same arelocated one at each side of the middle package of each row.

The panel members 70 28 be provided in any conve nient form as forexample they can comprise a pair of spaced apart strips 72 intervened bya continuous or corrugated component 74, corrugated cardboard forexample serving ideally for this purpose. Additionally the spacer panels70 extend the full transverse expanse of the box-like enclosure and aresufficiently rigid to prevent forces applied laterally of the enclosurefrom flexing inwardly the enclosure side walls 28m 280 at east in theregions of the disposition of the panel members 10, such laterallyapplied force being that applied to the carton enclosure by the feedrollers in the tax marking machine.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the present invention isof advantage in that it provides a specially designed carton andpackaging of smaller than standard-size cigarette packages which permitsthe continued utilization of existing cigarette package markingmachinery which has been designed to mark cigarettes in a standard-sizecarton.

While there is disclosed but one embodiment of cigarette packaging ofthe present invention it is possible to produce still other embodimentswithout departing from the scope of the inventive concept hereindisclosed, and accordingly it should be understood that all mattercontained in the above description, and in the accompanying drawingsshould be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.

What is claimed is:

1. Packaging of smaller than standard-size cigarette packages in acarton adapted for transport along a travel path through a tax markingmachine designed for tax marking standard-size cigarette packagescontained in a standard-size carton and in which opposed machine feedrollers engage opposite sides of said carton at a predetermined heightabove said travel path for advancing the carton through said machine,comprising in combination a carton formed from a single blank ofmaterial having parts thereof defining carton end wall structure atopposite ends of said carton, a pair of carton side walls, a cartonbottom wall and carton top wall structure, said parts being joined alongfold lines in said blank with the blank being erected by folding theparts along said fold lines to form an elongated box-like enclosure, theend wall structure at opposite ends of said carton comprising a pair ofend parts in said blank integral respectively with an end of one of saidside walls, each said pair of end wall parts being folded transverselyof said carton side walls in overlapped secured together arrangement,each pair of parts extending transversely from one carton side wall tothe other carton side wall,

a plurality of smaller than standard-size cigarette packages received insaid box-like enclosure and arranged upright therein in two co-extensiverows with the packages in each row extending in side-byside alignmentand being paired with a corresponding package in the other row, said endwall structure and said side walls being dimensioned such that the tworows of packages are coextensive with the lateral expanse of saidenclosure to snugly engage the side walls thereof, but are coextensivewith only a portion of the longitudinal expanse of the same,

spacer means removably disposed at opposite ends of at least one pair ofthe packages in said rows of packages and filling the remainder of thelongitudinal expanse of said enclosure, and

lateral stiffening means associated with said end wall structure forstiffening said end wall structure to prevent flexure of the same onpassage of said carton through said feed rollers, said stiffening meansextending upwardly from the bottom wall of said carton adjacent said endwall structure to a height which includes an appreciable portion of thevertical expanse in which said feed rollers engage said carton andcomprising reinforcing tab parts integral with opposite ends of saidcarton bottom wall part and folded upwardly therefrom adjacent theoverlapped end wall parts of said end wall structure, said reinforcingtab parts being substantially transversely coextensive with said endwall structure.

2. The carton of claim 1 in which said reinforcing tab parts aredisposed interiorly of said end wall structure.

3. The carton of claim 1 in which said plurality of smaller thanstandard-size cigarette packages comprises two coextensive rows of fivepackages each, the spacer means being disposed at the opposite ends ofthe middle packages in each of said rows.

4. The carton of claim 3 in which said spacer means comprise a pair ofpanels disposed between the middle packages in each of said rows and thepackages adjacent thereto.

5. The carton of claim 4 in which said panels are transverselycoextensive with the lateral expanse of said enclosure.

6. The carton of claim 5 in which said panels are sufficiently rigid toprevent forces applied laterally of said enclosure from flexing inwardlythe enclosure side walls at least in the regions of the disposition ofsaid panels.

7. The carton of claim 5 in which said panels maintain said packages inpredetermined longitudinal position within said enclosure.

1. Packaging of smaller than standard-size cigarette packages in acarton adapted for transport along a travel path through a tax markingmachine designed for tax marking standard-size cigarette packagescontained in a standard-size carton and in which opposed machine feedrollers engage opposite sides of said carton at a predetermined heightabove said travel path for advancing the carton through said machine,comprising in combination a carton formed from a single blank ofmaterial having parts thereof defining carton end wall structure atopposite ends of said carton, a pair of carton side walls, a cartonbottom wall and carton top wall structure, said parts being joined alongfold lines in said blank with the blank being erected by folding theparts along said fold lines to form an elongated box-like enclosure, theend wall structure at opposite ends of said carton comprising a pair ofend parts in said blank integral respectively with an end of one of saidside walls, each said pair of end wall parts being folded transverselyof said carton side walls in overlapped secured together arrangement,each pair of parts extending transversely from one carton side wall tothe other carton side wall, a plurality of smaller than standard-sizecigarette packages received in said box-like enclosure and arrangedupright therein in two co-extensive rows with the packages in each rowextending in side-by-side alignment and being paired with acorresponding package in the other row, said end wall structure and saidside walls being dimensioned such that the two rows of packages arecoextensive with the lateral expanse of said enclosure to snugly engagethe side walls thereof, but are coextensive with only a portion of thelongitudinal expanse of the same, spacer means removably disposed atopposite ends of at least one pair of the packages in said rows ofpackages and filling the remainder of the longitudinal expanse of saidenclosure, and lateral stiffening means associated with said end wallstructure for stiffening said end wall structure to prevent flexure ofthe same on passage of said carton through said feed rollers, saidstiffening means extending upwardly from the bottom wall of said cartonadjacent said end wall structure to a height which includes anappreciable portion of the vertical expanse in which said feed rollersengage said carton and comprising reinforcing tab parts integral withopposite ends of said carton bottom wall part and folded upwardlytherefrom adjacent the overlapped end wall parts of said end wallstructure, said reinforcing tab parts being substantially transverselycoextensive with said end wall structure.
 2. The carton of claim 1 inwhich said reinforcing tab parts are disposed interiorly of said endwall structure.
 3. The carton of claim 1 in which said plurality ofsmaller than standard-size cigarette packages comprises two coextensiverows of five packages each, the spacer means being disposed at theopposite ends of the middle packages in each of said rows.
 4. The cartonof claim 3 in which said spacer means comprise a pair of panels disposedbetween the middle packages in each of said rows and the packagesadjacent thereto.
 5. The carton of claim 4 in which said panels aretransversely coextensive with the lateral expanse of said enclosure. 6.The carton of claim 5 in which said panels are sufficiently rigid Toprevent forces applied laterally of said enclosure from flexing inwardlythe enclosure side walls at least in the regions of the disposition ofsaid panels.
 7. The carton of claim 5 in which said panels maintain saidpackages in predetermined longitudinal position within said enclosure.